A Day To Remember
by HeartandMind2013
Summary: With the decision made to have Anora marry Alistair, Elisa is heartbroken to see the man she loved being given to the woman who was searching for more than what everyone thought. However, a marriage never goes to plan now does it?
1. Chapter 1

Game: Dragon Age: Origins

Characters Involved: F/Coulsland, Alistair, Anora

Couple: Alistair & Elisa Cousland

Synopsis: Once giving the announcement that Alistair is to marry Anora, Elisa stands to see her lover be given to another woman to be crowned King. However, nothing ever goes to plan after a marriage that was never meant to be now does it?

* * *

She watched from the back of the great hall with great sadness to see the only man she loved waiting for the arrival of his soon to be queen.

Elisa and Alistair had been through so much together throughout the years to now. Once Elisa's fate was chosen for her when Arl Howe betrayed her family and her parents being killed, she had no option but to join the Grey Wardens. On the day of the attack, Bryce Cousland was to be riding South with his son Fergus to get ahead of the ever growing Darkspawn hoard. The horde had threatened the other villages nearby as most of them were already burnt to the ground. The Arl and his son wanted to oversee the proceedings for the attack. However, Bryce's most trusted friend and ally, Arl Howe had betrayed him and his men stormed the castle which lead to both Elisa's parents dying in the attack.

The Grey Warden Duncan had taken the Arls daughter to the high ruins of Ostagar to where the Grey Wardens were preparing to set up for the arrival of the horde that were heading in their direction. Many more recruits were being drafted in from other races for the fight and many; to which Elissa would come to find, would perrish under the exact ritual which would ake them all into Wardens. With the group that were sent out with Alistair, only Elissa remained. Until that very day, she met the one man who could see past her hard and rough past and be there for her when she needed him most.

Both of them both had a hard path when it came to saving everyone and expressing how they felt for each other as both of them didn't really know what to say. Even from the start Alistair knew that he had feelings for the woman who had just come out of hell. She never got the real "greetings" of the Wardens as the Darkspawn nearly wiped her out in the tower, but all of that was a thing in the past. Today was a celebration but for all this time... both of them were hurting inside.

The hall doors opened and everyone looked into their direction. Elissa moved more into the shadows as she diddn't want Anora to know that she was present at the wedding. The Queen knew how close both Alistair and the Warden was but she knew that this was a much better way of trying to keep the kingdom and it's people under 'her' rule.

She looked beautiful. The silky and smooth white dress fit Anora better than it would have fit Elissa. Anora looked stunning but just seeing her like that made Elissa more and more hurtful inside. She knew Anora wouldn't give in until she got her way which lead to Elissa making the announcement. Seeing Alistair's face that day made the Warden flinch as more and more pain threatened to show on her features and heart. She had just announced the give away of her lover and knight. How could things get any worse?

"Elisa, how could you?" Alistair questioned as he stormed into the side room to where the Warden and their companions were stationed.

"Alistair you know it is the right thing to do. Anora wouldn't give in until she got her way. Worse of all she could have killed me or you if she didn't" Elissa replied as she looked to her knight.

"I don't care! At least i would die by your side but living without you would hurt me more than ever."

The room fell silent. Both their feeling for each other were inflicting upon every decision. Both being without each other would have to be a burden that would have to be as Elissa knew that he would be the leader that the country deserved. If they were to run off together.. they would be hunted, hated. She didn't want him to have a life like that when there was always this option on the table.

The Warden slowly took one step towards him and took him in her arms.

"I love you more than anything and you know that but this is something that needs to be done. If you were to be with me right now we would be hunted, hated. I don't want that kind of life for you when there is this on where people need you more." The words were painful as she could feel the warm tears falling from his eyes and onto his cheek and hers.

"But that is a life that i am willing to take. I want to be with you! I love you!" He shouted as more tears began to fall. Elissa's own tears were falling but she tried to hold all the last moments she had with him as loving ones. She pulled back from the embrase and pulled him into a long and pasionate kiss. The others looked to the lovers and felt their pain; except for Oghren who was drunk as always; but they all knew of the adventures and wonderful times that the lovers always had together and as a team.

Slowly pulling back from the kiss, Elisa looked to Alistair once more and wiped away the tears with her fingers and smiled.

"I know you will make a great King."


	2. Chapter 2

The days passed and the news quickly spread of the marriage of Alistair and Anora. News was also spreading that the Queen was with child. This lifted the spirits of all the workers and people of the kingdom. Many people were beginning to place bets on what they thought the sex of the babe would be just for a little fun but more people were beginning to take a slight dislike of the news. Because Anora was originally married to the now deceased King Kailen, she had the responcibility of showing the whole Kingdom that she would be fit to take control along side the King in the political affairs of the job. However, the news of the babe was something that they did not believe to be possible as their King was a former Grey Warden. The taint in his blood would pass onto the off-spring and have the chance of the baby dying at birth. Alistair knew the risk but at what cost would it come to him?

"The plan is all set. You all know your stations? Good. We start as soon as we are able to"

Elissa was prowling the streets once more before packing up and leaving the town. The place left memories that could never be remembered. Pain was always present and the public apperances of Alistair hurt more when he looked her way and gave her a warming smile. Oh how she despratly wanted to hold him back in her arms and never let him out of her sight ever again, but nothing could be unchanged. Somehow, she could see the look of discomfort in his eyes as he appered more and more on the streets. Sometimes he would just come into the town with just one guard, always having his eyes open and looking around more and more. She knew what he was trying to do but it wouldn't last long.

"What about the King? Who is going to place the final blow on the man?"

"We will see to it when the time comes"

* * *

After a few hours had passed, Elissa managed to ready and tack her horse and begin to make her way towards the main gate of the town. Things had become more and more suspicious after a time and it had the Warden on edge. Something wassn't right. Passing down into the last legg of her journey, the Warden began to hear more and more strange hearings of a few people down an allyway to which Elissa knew all too well. Many of the criminals tended to meet and greet at this particular spot so nothing was new to her.

"The plan is all set. You all know your stations? Good. We start as soon as we are able to" Said one of the men standing in the group.

"What about the King? Who is going to place the final blow on the man?" Replied one other.

"We will see to it when the time comes."

Elissa knew something was off. Something about the way the town was running and how it's people were acting. Climbing onto her horse, Elissa kicked onto the back as the horse reared and spead off towards the castle. Alistair needed to know his Wifes and his own life are in danger!

* * *

"Warden Commander you know yourself about the dangers of the town. Many criminals have been placed into justice by your hands and many have been dealt many penalties. Myself and my husband have been in the job now for just a few months and now they want us dead?" Anora replied as she looked to the Warden. "I have had my life threatened before but i do not intend to let them succeed now"

"But your highness!" Elissa shouted towards her Queen. "Your life is something that i am not willing to be threatened like that, neether the Kings" Elissa stated as she gave a slight glance to Alistair. "You placed me as the Warden Commander for a reason and now i am doing my job which is to protect you and this i am going to see through!"

"Elissa Cousland!" Anora screamed as she stood firm from her chair. "You will not speak to me in this mannor! Your past with the King is well known to me but i do not want you to put my family in danger by trying a move that might get us all killed!"

"Do you think i want to see the royal family killed your highness?" Elissa replied as noticing the mannor at which she implied back to Elissa and Alistair being together before. "I do not want you two to be killed and for what? Nothing! I am going to make sure that i see this through..." as she looked to Alistair and then back to Anora.

"Weather you like it or not!" She couldn't take anymore of this. Elissa stormed out of the royal hall; trying to hold back the tears as she knew that Alistair knew that she would not let Anora put his life at risk. She still loved him and he knew it!

"Elissa! Elissa wait!" Alistair screamed towards her as he ran to try and keep up with her. As she stopped and took a deep breath, she waited for him to catch up to her before continuing. The tears were streaming down her face. If he was to see her like this then she knew that he would try anything... and that's something she diddn't want him to try. He had a family now; even if they were going to get themselves killed, but it was a family. A family that she could never give to him as of the taint that they both carried in their blood.

As he approached her, he saw the marks where she had been crying on her cheeks. No matter how much she tried to hide it he always found a way to get over it. He pulled her into a soft embrase from behind. She wanted so much to pull away but to feel his soft, warm and comforting arms around her once again was what she wanted. Elissa just stood there and waited till the tears had subsided for a little while before speaking.

"Why? Why is she preparing to put you life on the line and her own? Including the litle one!" Elissa asked.

"Because you know she has always been jellous of the relationship that we had together and her need to be Queen. Since the landsmeet she has never changed and you know it. I saw you at the back of the hall on the day. To see you standing there and watching me be wed to another hurt me so much. I knew 100% that it should have been you. The talk that we had before the day made my heart stop beating, because i knew that i would never be able to hold you in my arms and tell you how much i love you. The only thing that i had to remember you by once i heard that you were going to leave was the happy memories and the rose that i once gave to you that you then gave to me to take away what had happened, but you knew i couldn't anyway." Alistair took a quick look around to see if his Wife or any other guards were around before sighing a sigh of relief.

"It is you that i truly love and you know it. I will never stop loving you."

"I know" Elissa quietly mumbled while smiling a little. "Everytime i saw you in your public apperances i had to see you. I knew it would be a big risk but it was a risk that i was willing to take. I just had to see you!"

"And i you. This is why i came out mostly on my own, to see you." He looked into her loving and calm blue eyes that he fell in love with all over again. She was someone that was willing to listen to him and not judging who he was. She saw him as a fellow Warden and not a Prince that was next in line to the Theirin line... but just a human being that needed that comfort.

"I better get back to the old 'ball and chain'"

Elissa laughed. "Well i still see your sence of humor is still in tacked"

He laughed with her. "Well, how can i loose something like that in this job? Meet me back here later. You will stay in the castle for now. I will arrange for one of the maids to come and help you to your room. Wait here."

Elissa was going to decline but as she was going to reply he was already half way down the hall. She couldn't help but smile. Maybe, just maybe she had her sweetheart back.


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all I would like to say sorry to everyone for the long pause in the story and uploads. A lot has been going on in my life at the moment but I think things are beginning to come back to normal so I hope to be getting back into the swing of things now to give you more and more content from our love couple Alistair and Elisa.**

* * *

"Here we are, Warden Commander. This is your room for the night I understand" Said the waiter who led Elisa to her accommodation for the night.

"Thank you for leading me here..."

"The name is Thomas. I'm the Kings royal waiter"

"Well thank you Thomas for the escort down to the room. I very much appreciate it" Elisa placed her hand into the side pouch that she had with her and brought out some coin in saying thank you for all his help but he moved her hand aside and shook his head. "This is not necessary, Commander. I just hope you enjoy your evening." And with that, Thomas left the room to leave Elisa to do her reports for the evening. Today was going to be a rough one.

* * *

"Everything set in place for the assassination of our beloved leader?"

"Yes master. Everything is going according to plan. The nearby clan said that they were recruiting through the other clan near to their location so if the one who is to make the assassination gets caught in any way then the back up would take the strike"

"This is good news. Soon, the whole of Ferelden will fall and we will have control of everything. The whole Kingdom will bow before the Kojen"

By then the whole clan roared in cheers as the smell of success was in the air. In a few days time the mighty King of Ferelden would fall before the Kojen. And nothing or anyone would stand in their way.

* * *

"Anora if you would just listen to me!"

"No! No more Alistair. You are supposed to be the King of this fair land. If you are going to die then go down defending it. Do not be remembered as being the coward King of Ferelden" Anora exclaimed to Alistair before taking a seat on her throne. "I will not have my husband be remembered as so. How do you think it would look on your Queen?"

"It's always you isn't it? Always little you that comes first before any other. You turned away a citizen of our fair land a few days ago for looking stupid and sentenced him to death. He is still in the dungeons now awaiting his fait that was bestowed by the Queen herself. It's always little me, me, me with you."

"ENOUGH!" Exclaimed Anora as she stormed out of her throne and went to stand directly in front of Alistair. "Still falling on the Commander's shoulders I see? Well, let's just see how fair our people really are when they hear that their true King is nothing but a liar and cannot stand on his own two feet! You really think that I wanted to marry you in the first place? Well you are sourly mistaken!"

"Well, at least that makes two of us then" Alistair noted before making his way towards the door. "Oh and before I go, have fun with you new friends when they come knocking on the door"

"Go?" And before Anora had a chance to finish off her statement, Alistair was out of the room and heading towards Elisa.


End file.
